Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior Hermeskeil

Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior in Hermeskeil near the ancient German town of Trier is an aviation museum with a very large collection of aircraft including almost 30 Soviet and Eastern European models, both civil and military. Large passenger planes include an Ilyushin Il-14, Ilyushin Il-18, Antonov An-26 and a Tupolev Tu-134. The collection also includes various helicopters including a giant Mil Mi-6 and an impressive Mil Mi-24 from the East German Army.

The Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior in Hermeskeil is located close to Trier, Germany’s oldest town famous for its well preserved Roman buildings and also the birth place of Karl Marx. The area around Trier and the Mosel River is one of the best wine regions in Germany producing delicious Riesling Wines among many others. Aviation and History enthusiasts can combine a visit to the museum with a stay on the Mosel River, Wine tasting, Roman History in Trier and the Karl Marx Birth House Museum. The great Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum with the Tupolev Tu-144 and Speyer Technik Museum with the Buran Space Shuttle are also located in the area.

Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior Hermeskeil entrance

Areal view of the Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior Hermeskeil

Ilyushin Il-14

The Ilyushin Il-14 was developed by the USSR to replace the American DC-3’s acquired via the Land Leased program and it’s Soviet copy, the Lisunov Li-2. The Il-14 displayed at the Museum belonged to the Polish Air Force and was produced in 1954. It made its last flight to Hermeskeil in 1988 from Krakow. A staircase allows visitors to look inside the cockpit as is the case for many of the aircraft displayed at the Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior. The cockpit is in rough shape but moat of the original instruments are still in place.

Ilyushin Il-14

Ilyushin Il-14 cockpit

Ilyushin Il-18V

The Hermeskeil museum displays many large passenger aircraft including an Ilyushin Il-18V turboprop airliner. The Il-18 was produced in large numbers by the USSR from 1955 and formed the backbone of Eastern Bloc airlines for many decades. The museum aircraft with number DDR-STH was operated by the East German state airline Interflug. The V version indicates that this is a standard Aeroflot version, which entered service in 1961, powered by four Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines, seating 90-100 passengers. The cockpit of the Ilyushin Il-18V looks much more modern compared to the IL-14.

Ilyushin Il-18V

Ilyushin Il-18V cockpit

Tupolev Tu-134A

The Tupolev Tu-134A, a twin engined medium range jet airliner with a capacity of 95 passengers is another Soviet passenger jet on display at the museum. The Tu-134A with number DDR-SCK was operated by the East German airline Interflug and is an early version of the model. It is still equipped with the distinct glass nose and chin radar dome that was replaced by a normal nose with later models.

Tupolev Tu-134A

Antonov An-26

The Antonov An-26 is a turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 1969 to 1985. The An-26 on display is painted in Aero Caribbean color scheme although it actually flew for the East German Air Force and not for the Cuban airline. It is reported that this aircraft was used to transport Cuban troops to Angola and Mozambique. The color scheme could have been applied to disguise East German military participation in African countries. The museum bought the aircraft in 1992 from the German Air Force.

Antonov An-26

Antonov An-26 cockpit

Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau

Mikoyan-Gurevich fighters are usually the most numerous displayed aircraft of Soviet name in aviation museums and Hermeskeil is no exception. MiG fighters were the most produced military aircraft in the world and the East German Air Force flew large numbers of MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 fighters. The museum owns a MiG-15URI, MiG-17F, four MiG-21 and three MiG-23 models. Visitors can look inside some of the cockpits using a staircase.

MiG-15UTI cockpit

MiG-21MF cockpit

MiG-21SPS cockpit

A Soviet Air Force MiG-15UTI is displayed indoors. The UTI was the trainer version that was used as principal jet trainer by Eastern Bloc countries for many years. The MiG-17 was an advanced version of the MiG-15, powered by a Klimov WK-1F engine. The MiG-17F on display at the museum has Polish markings and a cannon as main armament.

MiG-15UTI

MiG-17F

The museum has four MiG-21 fighters on display; MiG-21F-13, MiG-21MF, MiG-21BIS, MiG-21US, aplus the front section of a MiG-21SPS allowing a good look inside the cockpit. The MiG-21F-13 was the first MiG-21 model to be produced in large numbers, the museum model was exported to Poland. The MiG-21MF was the export version of the MiG-21SM that was equipped with the RP-22 radar system. The MiG-21BIS was the ultimate development of the MiG-21 with a Tumansky R25-300 turbojet engine. The Mig-21US is a two seat training version produced between 1960 and 1968.

MiG-21F-13

MiG-21MF

MiG-21BIS

MiG-21US

MiG-21SPS

The East German Air Force operated over sixty MiG-23 fighters so it is no surprise that many of them ended up in German museums after the reunification. The Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior owns three MiG-23, a MiG-23BN, MiG-23MF and a MiG-23ML. The MiG-23BN is a ground attack variant that was produced from 1973. The MiG-23MF was an export derivative of the MiG-23M and flown by the East German Air Force. The MiG-23ML powered by a R-35F-300 engine is a second generation MiG-23 produced from 1978.

MiG-23BN

MiG-23MF

MiG-23ML

Sukhoi Design Bureau

The GDR Air Force also deployed over fifty Su-22 attack aircraft besides the various Mikoyan-Gurevich models. The museum displays a Su-22M4 from the East German Air Force. The Su-22M4, produced from1983 to 1990 was the Export version of the Su-17 and equipped with high tech avionics. Another aircrtaft form the Sukhoi Design Bureau is a Polish Air Force Su-7BM Fighter Bomber with Lyukla AL-7F turbojet engine produced in 1955.

Su-22M4

Su-22M4 cockpit

Su-7BM

Various other aircraft

The Czechoslovakian Aero L-39ZO, Let Z-37 Cmelak and Soviet Antonov Antonov An-2 are some of the most produced aircraft in the world and seen in many aviation museums. The Aero L-39ZO Albatros trainer is one of the most beautiful aircraft in our opinion. The version displayed in the museum was the interim weapon trainer variant produced for export and first sold to Iraq. Let Z-37 Cmelak is an agricultural aircraft manufactured in Czechoslovakia, the aircraft is used mainly as a crop-duster. The Antonov An-2P is the largest single-engine biplane in the world, the museum aircraft arrived from Budapest in 1987.

Aero L-39ZO Albatros

Let Z-37 Cmelak

Antonov An-2P

Helicopters

Soviet helicopters are well represented at the Flugausstellung L.+P. Junior, eight Mil helicopter and one Kamov helicopter can be found in the museum. The Mil Mi-1 was licence build in Poland under the name PZL-Swidnik SM and served in the Hungarian Air Force. The Mi-2 in the original colours of the former East German Police is also produced by the PZL-Swidnik plant. Another small helicopter displayed inside is the versatile Kamov Ka-26 light utility helicopter. The museum ka-26 is fitted with a passenger cabin and belonged to the "Volkspolizei" or East German Police.

Mil Mi-1

Mil Mi-2

Kamov Ka-26

The Mil Mi-4 heavy transport helicopter displayed in the museum belonged to the Czechoslovakian Air Force and was build in 1957. The Mil Mi-6A is one of the biggest helicopters in the world and is the civil transport version of the Mi-6 with accommodation for between 65 and 90 passengers. The museum Mi-6A flew in 1996 to the Hermeskeil from Petschora in the Ural burning 90.000 liters of aviation fuel during the 19 hour flight. Only a couple of Mi-6 helicopters still fly today

Mil Mi-4

Mil Mi-6A

The Mil Mi-8 is one of the most produced helicopters and is still used around the world today. The museum piece is a Mil Mi-8T version used as multi role transport helicopter with the East German Army and dates from 1962. The Mil Mi-9 displayed at the museum served as flying command post in the East German army and was stationed in Cottbus, it is waiting for restoration.

Mil Mi-8T

Mil Mi-8T cockpit

Mil Mi-9

The Mil Mi-14PL anti submarine helicopter is a more rare aircraft that we have not yet seen in many museums. The Mi-14PL in the museum was constructed in 1974 and served in the East German navy. The Mi-14PL was armed with a torpedo, nuclear debt bombs and eight dept charges.

Mil Mi-14PL

Mil Mi-14PL cockpit

The famous Mi-24 Hind was operated in large numbers by both the East German Air Force and Army, so many appear in German museums nowadays. It is still great to look at this deadly machine every time we encounter one in an aviation museum. The museum owns a Mi-24P gunship version that was delivered to the East German army in 1981. The 12.7-mm machine-gun of the normal Mi-24 is replaced with a fixed side-mounted 30-mm GSh-30K twin-barrel cannon.

Mil Mi-24P

Mil Mi-24P

Mil Mi-24P cockpit

Mil Mi-24P gunner

Soviet aircraft engines

The museum has a solid amount of engines on display, many are probably removed from the aircraft the museum owns. The Klimov WK-1 Engine was build during the 1950s for the MiG-15, MiG-17 and Il-28 fighters. The Klimov WK-1F Engine was build from 1948 for the MiG-17. The Turmansky R29-300 jet Engine was produced in 1972 and used to power a MiG-23MF. The Ivchenko AI-24 Turboprop Engine was build during the 1960’s for the Antonov An-24 medium airliner.

Klimov WK-1

Klimov WK-1F

Tumansky R29-300

Ivchenko AI-24

The Isotov GTD-350 is gas-turbine turboshaft engine build in the 1960s for the Mil Mi-2 helicopter The Shvetsov ASZ-82 aircraft engine dates to 1952 and was used for the Ilyushin Il-14 jet and Mil Mi-4 helicopter. Also on display are a Zvezda M503A-2 Diesel Engine that was developed in the 1940s to power Soviet missile boats and a four cylinder Walter Minor piston engine produced in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s.

Isotov GTD-350

Shvetsov ASZ-82

Zvezda M503A-2

Walter Minor

Helmets, suits and ejection seats

Various aviation exhibits including models, helmets, suits, masks and ejection seats are displayed in main museum building. The Soviet KK-2 Ejection Seat dates to the mid 1950s and was used in the MiG-17. The KM-1M Ejection Seat from the 1970’s was used in various MiG-21 and MiG-23 models. The SK-1 Ejection Seat was also used in various MiG-21 models. The Czechoslovakian VS1-BRI Ejection Seat is used in the Aero L-39 and can be used at 0 m height by the two pilots.

KK-2

KM-1M

SK1

VS1-BRI

The VKK-6M flight suit was designed for long high-altitude flights is the most commonly used Soviet and Warsaw Pact flight suit. ZSh-5 Pilot Helmet with KM-34 oxygen mask was standard issue in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc and is the most used pilot helmet. The ZSh-5M with KM-34 oxygen mask was a modified version of the ZSh-5 with various updated components. ZSh-7 Pilot Helmet with KM-34D oxygen mask is used by Su-27, Su-33 and MiG-29 pilots of the Russian Air Force.

VKK-6M

ZSh-5

ZSh-5M

ZSh-7

Konrad Adenauer’s flight to Moscow

The Lockheed Super Constellation is an American aircraft, the museum aircraft does have a link with the USSR since it was used by the first West German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer on his mission to the USSR in 1955. Adenauer visited Moscow on 9 September 1955 in order to get West Germany recognized by the USSR and resume full diplomatic relations. Adenauer also reached an agreement on the release of the last 10,000 German prisoners of war remaining in Soviet captivity.